Memories Made Us Version 1
by Winter Thunder
Summary: [A spinoff for Tenshi no Hanachan's Marshmallow collection:Ch11.] When all seem lost, the smallest things remain, holding them together by the tiniest bonds...[SasuSaku] 'A bond of memories, memories that made us, Sasuke.' She told him softly.


_Memories Made Us_

By Winter Thunder

Dedicated to: Tenshi no Hana-chan

**Written as: A spinoff for Ch. 11 of Tenshi no Hana-chan's **_**A Marshmallow Collection**_

Disclaimer 1: Written _**WITH**_ permission from the authoress herself.

----Besides, 1) It's not like I can copy her great and awesome work and 2) It's against my personal ethics to plagiarize on purpose. (As in you do it with knowledge that it's actually someone else's. People don't always remember things, so I give the benefit of doubt)----

Disclaimer 2:

"_Alyana-san. It is with great pleasure that I would like to officially turn the ownership of my story, Naruto, over to you."_

"_Kishimoto-san! I…I can't even express my gratitude! My thanks! Arigato gozaimasu a thousand times over!" _

**I'm dreaming. **_**Nobody**_** pinch me.**

So, no, I don't own Naruto. I do own a bag of chips and some honey sticks! Wait no…I don't own those honey sticks.

A/N: There's an OC, my OC, Alyana Nari who is a second teacher to the Rookie 9 and Gai's team. I'm (hopefully) going to write a long story that has her in it. She has a major role, and I think this is going to slightly tie in to my big story. So, please don't take her name or character, even if she's not really big in the story. 'Sides, her name is mine, literally, so you can't really take it. I know she seems to have a ridiculously powerful jutsu to transport all them across the Fire Country, but once I get my real story up, you'll see why. Not to mention, deal with it! It works for the story!

* * *

Haruno Sakura always knew she was a smart girl. She always knew what made her who she was today. Her memories. Tiny little snippets of time that would be building blocks for something much bigger. She wouldn't have lived her life the way she did, without them. But her question was – did he know what made them, _them_?

_He fixed her slipper. They were four._

_They traded ice cream and tomatoes. They were happy with a simple act of generosity. She was four, and he, nearly five._

_He helped her home after she sprained her foot. She was five and a half, and he was six._

_She saved his pride with a little white lie. This time, she helped him. They were both six._

_He saved her from bullies, one of which was Watanabe Ami. He was seven, and she was almost there._

_His clan was gone. He was eight. He almost drowned himself. And, again, their roles switched - this time, it was she who saved his life._

And she would do it again. She was not afraid to do so. But for now, she could only do three things. Train, live, and pray. She'd pray he'd remember their precious little memories. And she'd pray that they'd be able to make fresh, new ones.

He woke with a start. Tears forming in green eyes haunted his dreams that night. A lake. Diving in.

"_What were you thinking?"_ _she panted, her expression anguished. She shivered as a cold wind passed. "Y-you could've drowned! You could've died! I… I…" Tears welled up her eyes anew, and without warning, she had thrown herself at him with a desperate hug. Her warmth seeped in to him through their wet clothes. "How can I protect you if you do this kind of thing?!"_

_She cried horrendously loud against him, as if all the tears that he should've kept weeping were flooding out of her. She wailed and didn't let go of him, and he didn't push her away. He didn't want to believe it, but this was the last comfort that he didn't want going away just yet. Not just yet._

"_Sakura…" he mumbled, letting his chin fall on her shoulder. "You don't have to protect me."_

"_Why not!?" she cried hysterically. "You're… you're alone now, aren't you? I need to… someone needs to… you need someone to be with you and take care of you! I'll – I'll come over everyday and make sure you get food and stuff, and… and… just let me do something for you, please?"_

He wondered…had she changed? No, she probably hadn't. She was the most stubborn of girls. "I don't need to be protected," he said aloud, like a mantra, as if talking to his memory of Sakura. Then he swore. _Why do these things have to come back at the most critical of times, dammit? _he demanded to himself. This was the sixth night, for crying out loud!

He went through his day without thinking about it; it was all a routine. Yet something today changed this routine. Something tugged at the corner of his heart, persistently. It nagged him, forming a hollow pit in his stomach. He couldn't place it. He ran through his experiences with feelings. Hate…happiness…love…fear? No, it couldn't be. Yet it was. Sasuke hissed at himself. He wasn't afraid of anything. His old sensei's words rang through his head. _It is not bad to be afraid. The weakest shinobi is the one who does not acknowledge his fears._ He scoffed. The words of a weak, _Konoha_ shinobi.

Yet he knew that he feared the night to come, and the memory that would come with it. Tonight, the seventh night. Tomorrow, the eighth. Tomorrow, the worst memory would come, and he would feel the one emotion he had vowed never to feel until his mission was done. But for now, he would prepare for the night.

At age six and a half, he was reminded of the life of a young boy. Sure, he still knew it, but being of the Uchiha clan wasn't really always easy.

_"Haruno." No reply. "Haruno." The teacher called louder, looking around at the children about her. "Haruno Sakura." Still no answer. "Has anyone seen Haruno Sakura?" The teacher queried. A chorus of "No!" was her answer. The children's sensei sighed. Sakura wasn't ideal for a kunoichi, as she had shown thus far, but then again, she herself had been like that. The only thing was, if Sakura had unwittingly wandered off, or if she didn't want people to find her, she was hard to find. She grimaced. She couldn't very well go off to find her herself; she had to watch the others. "Uchiha!" the said boy looked up. "Since you were the first to complete today's exercise, please go find Haruno Sakura. The rest of you, practice! I expect you to do much better tomorrow!" Sasuke nodded silently and ran off to the last place he had seen her. He carefully looked for signs of where she went, but when he heard a light-hearted giggle, he knew where to go. He reached a tiny clearing, where he found the wayward trainee. He stopped dead at what he saw. The pink-haired girl was kneeling down, chattering brightly away to a clump of flowers. To be more exact, azaleas. Sasuke flinched. How on earth did he know that? That wasn't very manly! If his mother heard that...his mother. Oh. They were her favorite flowers. "Haruno." Sakura's chatter was cut off abruptly as her emerald eyes went wide at the sight of him. Thud. _

_"Sasuke-kun?" she asked curiously._

_"No. It's Ghost-san." He rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. She stared at him curiously for a moment, then smiled and started to laugh._

_"You still remember that?" Tinkling bell-like laughter rang out through the small clearing. "You're so nice!"_

_"Actually, I'm not quite sure why I said that."_

_"Oh." She couldn't keep the disappointment from her voice. "Gomenasai, Sasuke-san." Her head turned away as she sat up, hugging her knees to herself. 'I should've known Ino'd be the only one that'd be my friend, or even acknowledge me.' She thought miserably. 'I just thought…when he helped me all those times…' Sasuke's eyes widened. He hadn't meant to make her sad!_

_"I was joking, Sakura." Emerald eyes swung back to him, sparkling with hope._

_"Really?" He rolled his eyes again._

_"I don't lie."_

_"Arigatou!" she chirped brightly. She then turned her attention away from him and resumed chattering to the azalea bush._

_"Sakura."_

_"Hai?"_

_"I was sent to retrieve you." He mentally winced at how old he sounded._

_"Oh! Gomenasai! Am I late?" He raised an eyebrow. "Gomen, silly question."_

_"Let's go." He turned to leave._

_"Matte, Sasuke-kun! I have to say good-bye!" He turned around once more and walked to her._

_"To who?"_

_"Azalea-chan, of course! I have to tell her! It'd be rude if I didn't!"_

_"Why are you talking to something that can't talk back?" his curiosity got the better of him._

_"Sasuke-kun! Don't you know?" She sounded surprised. "If you talk to the flowers, they will bloom faster! That's what my mom says! And poor Azalea-chan only has three blossoms!"_

_"A-ah. We have to go back soon."_

_"Okay!" She stood up a little behind him, brushing off her knees. "Ne, Sasuke-kun…wouldn't Azalea-chan be sad if I left her so soon? Can't I stay a little longer?"_

_"No. Kiss it better or something!" he was slightly annoyed that she would ask him such a, a, a, a girly thing._

_"That's a good idea! Thanks Sasuke-kun!" She leaned in gently. For a second, Sasuke that she was aiming for him, and a blush flared to life on his cheeks. But the moment passed and Sakura kissed one of the blossoms. "Bye-bye Azalea-chan! I'll be back soon, I promise!" She straightened her small form. "Sasuke-kun? Why are you all red?"_

Sasuke's eyes opened before his treacherous mind could replay his idiotic reply. He hesitated then relented. His head dropped into his hands. These little memories were coming back at the most inopportune moments. And he was starting to doubt his decision. Naruto and Sakura could always do that. Sakura especially. The memories, the tiny little moments of bonding, they were the only things tying him to his past in Konoha. He stiffened. No. Nothing was more important than his revenge, whether he died or not in the process.

* * *

Sakura woke with a start. _'What was that? That was…Sasuke? And me? When we were little…wait. I remember that! Only I never knew Sasuke thought…' _Her mouth twisted into a sad smile. _'I want him to come back. But no matter how hard I wish, how much I pray, how much I hope…I know he can't.'_ Her eyes turned to the glittering stars above. _'Onegai, Sasuke, onegai. Come home soon.'_ A tear tracked its way down a porcelain cheek. _'Onegai.'_ "I miss you so much."

* * *

Orochimaru was dead. Sasuke had his team to take down Itachi. They all had enough power. 

But first, they needed to rest, as much as he hated to admit it. They couldn't continue hopping from one side of one country to another. "We'll stop at the Lake of Memories." He told the people running behind him. Each replied with their own affirmatives.

* * *

"Sakura." A gentle female voice called to her as she lost herself in her thoughts. 

"Aly-neechan?" Surprised jade-colored eyes swung to the speaker.

"Yes. Are you all right, little one?"

"H-hai." Despite her statement, her eyes were downcast and sad. With a sigh, the older woman moved to sit on the bed.

"Sakura. If something bothers you, you should not leave it inside."

"Gomen, Aly-neechan. I just can't talk about it."

"Ne, Sakura-chan, does that mean I can?" Alyana asked in a teasing tone. "Lighten up, little one. All is not lost."

"I know." A sigh escaped the young kunoichi. Her adopted sister frowned.

"Sakura." The teasing was gone. "It's Sasuke, isn't it?" It wasn't a question, despite its phrasing. The older girl sighed. "What happened?" Troubled green eyes looked at her, and without further prodding, the story spilled from her pale lips.

Alyana sat back against the wall, blowing a long breath of air out. "I don't cross dimensions to help stupid, useless, and weak people. You are none of those things, despite whatever Sasuke has told you. There are many kinds of bonds in the world, but Sasuke doesn't know that. He knows only of the emotional bonds that he intends to cut with you and Naruto and the rest of Konoha. He doesn't know about the bonds of words. Words can bind people down. Sakura, why do you think you were weak before?" She stood to kneel in front of the pink haired girl.

"I didn't have any self-confidence, I had no friends, and I was weak."

"No one is truly weak." Aly told her firmly. "No one is truly weak because everyone has weaknesses _and_ strengths. Sakura, do you think you are weak? Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally."

"No, no, and I'm not sure." Sakura gave her a small smile.

"That's my girl. Emotional and mental strength are harder to build, and you are lucky because you have your second spirit. You are one of the strongest people I've met."

"Hai!" Sakura brightened. While kind and fair, Alyana was not free with compliments like that. She most certainly wouldn't say that unless she believed it.

"Now, the bonds of words. Sasuke is still tied to you and Naruto the most because he spoke with you. Compliments, insults, warnings, just about anything. Especially you. He never had much faith in you, so he would always think or say things that would bind you down, and thus you were bound to him. He'd always say you were weak, right? And in his mind, he was most likely shouting out warnings. That's enough. Does that make sense?" Sakura shook her head.

"All right. These two girls, very dear friends of mine, they were twin sisters. One, the older one was rather clumsy, and the younger often said things like, "Make sure you don't drop that!" or "Careful! You could cut yourself!" And these things would often happen _because_ she said that. I'm very glad I found them because so many strings were holding the older girl down, and I cut them for her. She's no longer bound by them."

"Then, can Sasuke cut his bonds to me and Naruto?"

"No. Very few people know about these bonds. Fewer still know how to break them on purpose."

"But you— "

"I can see them, and I can cut them. The only way he can release you is by finally realizing what you truly are _and_ telling you when he truly means it."

"Will our memories tie us together?" Alyana hesitated.

"I don't know. They might. Especially since you share them." She looked thoughtful. "I think we can call it a bond. You understand it might not be enough of course."

"Yes. But memories made _us_, they made _me_! Memories make us who we are, _because_ we remember things! Things that make us…us!" She was on the verge of waving her arms around wildly, to get her point across when she saw that Alyana did indeed know what she was talking about .Sakura bit her lip. "Nee-chan…I just can't bear to think about never seeing him again!" she cried. Her sister nodded understandingly and hugged the trembling girl.

"I know, jo-chan, I know." Pent up sobs filled the air as the heart-broken kunoichi released her sorrow. Alyana waited in silence, knowing she needed a moment. Finally, Sakura wiped her tears away and silenced her sniffles.

"Nee-chan?" she asked softly. "Does Sasuke-kun remember you?" Aly gave her a sad smile.

"No."

* * *

Sasuke growled, irritated the Suigetsu and Karin were _still_ at it. "Shut up!" he snarled, tested beyond all his reserves of patience. "We're almost there; so just be quiet!" 

"Hey, Sasuke," Suigetsu called after a moment of silence, "two things. One, what the heck is the Lake of Memories and two, how do you know about it?" Sasuke didn't answer as Karin started yelling at Suigetsu for being stupid and asking stupid questions. But he silently replied to the second question. _I don't know._

* * *

"Why not, nee-chan?" 

"I haven't released the memory jutsu on him." She replied curtly. "Now, we need to go to the Lake of Memories. Tsunade-sama wants us to look for special things for the hospital and I want to bring you children to the lake for some special water training." Aly looked thoughtful. "You should probably know the reason it's called the Lake of Memories…well never mind that. There are several other 'Memory' bodies…the Sea of memories, the Ocean of Memories…" She muttered to herself. She didn't mention that the lake was a body of water that was very special and above of all, magical.

"Okay. Do I need to bring anything?"

"The usual. Meet us at the front gates in five minutes." Alyana replied absentmindedly, disappearing without another word.

"She's as bad as a cat with good byes." Sakura grumbled.

* * *

Sakura joined the large group of shinobi that had gathered at Konoha's front gate. Naruto was arguing loudly with Alyana, who, unsurprisingly, was yelling right back. But what was surprising was that Neji had joined in this time. _'Oh.'_ Sakura rolled her eyes. _'Let me guess. I don't want to-"_

"I don't want to travel like that! It's like cheating!" _"Yup, that.'_

"I agree, Alyana-sensei. We can travel on our own two feet." Neji backed Naruto up.

"Both of you get off your idiotic, pig-faced, high horses and get with the program!" Alyana roared at them. "I don't _care_ about what you think or want! If I tell you that you're walking on your hands to the lake, you better be ready to do it! If I tell you you're going to carry an elephant on your back for the rest of your life, you'd better be ready to do it! Learn to take orders! Accept help! _Bakas_!" she hissed at them. "I don't care which almighty lord made your clan a powerful clan, I don't care what your dream is, I don't _care_ who favors you, I don't care! If you can't take orders, if you can't accept help, if you can't accept there are things that are impossible, I suggest you find a different occupation! Am I clear?!" she yelled, eyes sparking with anger.

"Yeah."

"…fine."

"Good! Sakura! Now that you're here, we can go! Get in the circle!" she ordered. They quickly did as she said; while mostly patient, when she lost it, their sensei was _very_ irritable. "Let's get going." Alyana said in a normal speaking voice, as if she had not just lost her temper a few minutes ago. "Ready?" Murmurs of assent ran through the assembled group. "Let's go." Her hands slammed together, forming seals so fast not even the Sharingan could see. A white light bubbled from the ground, forming a sort of shield around them. As fast as it had come, it was gone, as were the shinobi.

* * *

Sasuke mentally sighed with relief when he saw the lake close ahead. Despite his commands for quiet, Suigetsu and Karin had proceeded to do nothing of the sort. "We're here." He announced. 

"Finally." Suigetsu threw down his heavy sword. "The damn thing's so heavy."

"Quit complaining, idiot! Why pick a weapon..." Karin snapped back. Sasuke groaned to himself. How many times could they argue in less than an hour? Suddenly, something caught his eye on the other side of the lake. A white light flashed and disappeared. _What…?_

"We're here." The white globe that surrounded them flashed out of existence.

"Finally!" Naruto yelled excitedly.

"Baka! Do you think that you're the only one who- " Kiba was cut off abruptly.

"Hush!" Alyana hissed suddenly. Her brows drew together, frowning. _This is not good._ She thought as she verified the chakra signatures she felt across the vast lake. _This is not good at all._ "Everyone. Find the mission objectives- "-she'd explained their relatively simple mission on the way- "all of you. Except- " Aly's eyes did not avert from the lake, "Sakura. And…" she hesitated, "Naruto." Sounds of confusion and irritation replied to her command. "Go!" They went.

"Alyana-sensei," Sakura began hesitantly.

"Aly-neechan." Aly corrected instantly, out of habit.

"Ne, Nee-chan? What is it?" Naruto demanded. Alyana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Needless to say, it was difficult.

"Naruto. Sakura. I believe I've taught you to always keep your senses _aware_ and always be on the _lookout_ for strange, odd, or _familiar_ chakra signatures?" Her tone made it clear that they had better have been doing that, or they were busted.

"Hai." They replied.

"What do you sense?"

* * *

_That chakra…_ Sasuke gazed out across the lake. _It's familiar…but I don't remember it. Who could it be?_

"Hey, Sasuke! How long can we stay?"

"I'm going to check on something. Stay put." He ordered.

"Wha-?"

"Sasuke?!" they cried in disbelief as they felt the moving chakra. Sure, the lake was vast, but Sasuke was wasting no time in getting across. He was nearly halfway across.

"Come!" Alyana took off across the lake. "And hurry!" Wordlessly, they quickly followed. _Sasuke…_they all thought simultaneously. _What are you doing here?_

* * *

He frowned slightly as he ran across the water. Three nin were approaching. Sakura, Naruto, and the unknown. Why did he always run into those two? And who was the stranger? Sasuke stopped as he reached the middle of the lake. The three reached him shortly after he stopped. Instantly, his eyes glazed over in icy coldness as he prepared himself to meet his last ties to his past…his most important people of a past life. 

"Sasuke." Naruto and Sakura breathed together as they stopped next to their adopted sister.

"Who are you?" his cold voice demanded. Bewilderment showed on Naruto's face and Sakura's eyes. But Aly knew to whom he was talking to.

"I am…the former Uchiha…Alyana."

* * *

A/N: So, whaddya think? I haven't read it for a while, so the last time I went over it was a week ago. I need more time to well, forget this fic so I can look at it again and see my mistakes…if ya know what I  
mean. 

Erm, I'm not really sure what Suigetsu and Karin call Sasuke or how they talk to him...so, yeah. Give me all the constructive criticism you cold ever think of!

...Just don't flame me. Then I'll feel like I let one of my heroines -coughHana-chancough- down!

Review!


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